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Die Making Software: Standing Up to the Competition

How to make dies faster, cheaper, better!

Ralph Picklo Vice President

About Cimatron

!   World leader in CAD/CAM solutions for mold, tool and die makers; mfg. of discrete parts

!   25+ years of expertise

!   Operations in 35 countries

!   40,000+ installations

!   Cimatron customers deliver tools faster than the industry best-in-class

!   What is it?

!   What it is not

!   Key to improving delivery time

!   Would it work for your business?

INTEGRATED Die Design & Manufacturing

Typical Die Shop Process

Data read in & evaluated

After tooling reviews, parts and steel ordered,

job is released

Available designer begins job “Throw over wall” to

manufacturing

Shop Tasks

!   Wire EDM punch details

!   NC form stations

!   Drill plates

!   Assembly

Operations are often performed in separate departments.

So where is the job info?

It’s all over the place yet nowhere to be found

So where is the job info?

Quote info sits on a salesman’s laptop

Design is on the CAD server

NC code is on a shop floor workstation

Drawings are rolled up in a corner or filed

Drill or EDM routines sit on the controller or have been discarded

Resulting Issues

!   Data is scattered or discarded

!   Starting from scratch for an engineering change

!   Difficult communication between departments

!   Mistakes

Typical Scenario

!   Different design software

!   New job goes to next available designer and done in the software he/she is most familiar with

!   Multiple translations

!   Different NC software

!   Programming depending on available machine

!   Backlog on some machines

Why?

!   Evolved process !   Bought a new machine = with a new software to run it !   Hired a new designer who didn’t know the existing design system

= bought a new design system !   Wanted best in class system for each operation…best NC, best

EDM… = multiple, disparate systems

Engineering Change = Pain!

!   Job now goes to whomever is available to do the EC

!   Translate entire job to a different software

!   Days lost in restoring data

!   Passed to NC and again translated to different system

!   Original machine no longer available so it is programmed in a different software

!   Does the design file match the actual tool?

Results

!   Process repeated again and again

!   Lost money on changes !   Original quote was soft to get the job with intent of making the

money back up in the inevitable engineering changes

!   Delayed Delivery

Is this how to solve the issues?

!   Responding to urgency – due date

!   All hands on deck

!   Designer works overtime

!   More NC machines

!   Second shift

!   Outsourcing work

!   Still throwing data over the wall

!   Still have parts of the operations waiting for other tasks to finish

!   Increasing cost to finish job

So what is INTEGRATED Die Design & Manufacturing?

!   Not a crisis management

!   A designed workflow

!   All phases of manufacturing remain current

!   Adapt on the fly with engineering changes

!   Work smarter not harder

What Do We Need?

!   Mindset !   Open minded look at current process

!   How often do I translate data? !   What is holding up the flow

!   Does software allow for it or hinder it?

!   Train people on new process

Integration - Example

!   Quote – data and decisions !   Many quotes are requiring a preliminary strip layout !   If strip can be done in minutes, why not include it in quote to

improve chance of getting the job? !   Pass info on to design department at kickoff

Integration - Example

!   Design – multiple design processes !   One designer works on punch side while another works on die

side !   One designer finalizes strip while another begins layout on tool

design details !   Quickly incorporate ECO’s “on the fly” at any stage in design

Integration - Example

!   NC/Assembly !   Immediately informed if design has changed !   Option to rerun operations on changed data !   Shop-floor viewing for assembly to see new part list and assembly

files with notification of changes !   Option to recalculate NC operations; not reprogram

How?

!   One system designed to do concurrent engineering !   Design standards incorporated into each job

!   Material specs – bend conditions !   Punch clearances – die offsets !   Die set standards – how I build my dies !   Standard components for all designs/designers

How?

!   Same design standards available during the quotation !   Quote with material data !   Quote with die and component company standards !   Quoting and design are always on the same page and can

pass info back and forth

How?

!   Quoting, Design, NC and Assembly are on the same database !   If design changes, NC is immediately updated !   NC automation

!   Autodrill – “sees” the hole size and shape and applies the drilling and pocketing needed to manufacture it automatically

!   NC standards saved and reapplied to next job !   Templates – one click to apply cut strategy

How?

!   Assembly immediately updated with design changes !   Detail drawings update automatically !   BOM updates as well !   Shop floor viewers allow instant access to information for

assembly

Custom Punch Units

Thank You! E-mail additional questions to rpicklo@cimatrontech.com

call 248-596-9700 or visit www.cimatrontech.com